I'm Ready to Suffer and I'm Ready to Hope
by BlackConverse3
Summary: This is a One-Shot I added into my Story, The Council: Reading MoA, and I wanted to make it an actual One-Shot. It's about Percy and him remembering what happened in Tartarus. Hope you like it. The Song is Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine.


The moonlight lit the room and casted shadows across the floor. Percy laid on his bed, staring up at the top bunk. He laid there quietly, listening to the branches of the trees scratching against the window and the smell of fresh blood filled his nose, making him shiver. He rolled over onto his side and let out a sigh, trying to push out the memories.

_Regrets collect like old friends_

Percy listened intently to the song stuck in his head. It was something like, _Shake it Out _by this artist he couldn't remember the name of. It made him feel sick to his stomach and he quickly sat up on his bed, feeling light-headed. His fingers curled around the edge of the mattress, wrinkling the silk blue sheets.

_Here to relive your darkest moments_

_I can see no way, I can see no way_

_And all of the ghouls come out to play_

He remember the fall, it was hard and extremely painful , like a thousand knives had been embedded into his skin. Percy tightened his grip on the sheets, feeling pressure pushing against his spine, making it harder and harder to breath. He felt like he was suffocating, the dark shadows in his room were closing in on him.

_Nothing's here Percy._ He scolded himself. But he took in a shaky breath, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep well tonight. The nightmares were almost unbearable. And the fact that, he and Annabeth both knew...that they had to go back.

After seeing his friends and family, they had to go back to that _hellhole. _

_And every demon wants him pound of flesh_

_My dear. You don't look so good. What's wrong my little pawn? _ Gaea's voice echoed across the cold walls of Percy's cabin.

_Percy and Annabeth stood back to back, their weapons drawn as growls and snarls came from the darkness._ _"Their coming." Annabeth whispered, her voice was quivering with fear as she tightened her grip on her dagger, which she found a few moments ago. Percy gripped her hand tightly in his own and said, "I know. Just keep close to me." He turned and gazed at the daughter of Athena. "I'm not losing you again." She nodded and Percy turned his head away. She quickly whipped her tears away with Percy's jacket sleeve and whispered, "To the right. Percy, they're-" Her eyes grew wide as monsters: Hellhounds, A Manticore, Pit Scorpions, Scythi an Dracanae, Empousa, The Minotaur and hundreds of other monsters came towards them, a few forked tongues flickering though their teeth like they couldn't wait to tear apart the demigods flesh. Percy let out a short yell before uncapping his sword and leaping into battle, with Annabeth following him immediately. _

_But I like to keep some things to myself_

_I like to keep my issues drawn_

Percy closed his eyes and muttered, "They can't find out. They can't find out what happened." He didn't know what he would do if the other campers figured out what had happened to him and Annabeth, where they had been. He felt his heart hammering against his chest, threatening to burst out of his skin.

_It's always darkest before the dawn_

Percy opened his eyes and gazed outside, a sea breeze was guided through the open window and brushed against his cheek, feeling like a caress of his mother's hand. Suddenly, pain ripped though his chest and he gasped at the intensity, making him fall off the edge of his bed and onto his knees, onto the floor. It felt like fire was coursing through his veins and it was so painful, he wanted to scream but he held his tongue to keep from crying out.

_And I've been a fool and I've been blind_

_I can never leave the past behind_

_I can see no way, I can see no way_

_I'm always dragging that horse around_

Metal claws crawled up his back, reopening his wounds and making that horrible scratching sound against the ground. Hot breath breathed onto his neck, smelling of rotten fish and freshly slipped blood. Percy shivered as he could feel the bronze knife trail down his back, tracing across the gauze that was placed over the worst cut on his back, the deepest one.

The one from _the fall._

_And our love has pastured such a mournful sound _

_Tonight I'm going to bury that horse in the ground_

He could hear her screams echoing inside his head. Her pleads and the sound of bronze against bronze. The loud thump of her heart as she watched the monsters surround them. He could feel it.

Her heartbeat trailed through her whole body and he felt it through her fingertips, which were clamped firmly around his left hand. He wouldn't let go of her.

He _couldn't. _

_So I like to keep my issues drawn_

_But it's always darkest before the dawn_

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ohh woah_

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ohh woah_

He remember everything, every detail of the monsters, every single moment of pain.

_The knife curled softly under his chin as the Empousa purred softly, "It's alright, my handsome hero. You'll join her soon. I promise." She dug the knife into his cheek, making him let out a hiss of pain. _

_"Stop it! Stop it please!" Annabeth begged from the right, her steel grey eyes were filled with desperation. _

_"Keep that girl quiet!" The sound of chains rattling echoed across the chamber and a pained grunt followed soon after. _

_Percy snarled, "Let her go! Now!"_

_The Empousa turned and smacked the back of her hand across his face._

_Percy said, his voice filled with barley suppressed rage, "Stay the hell away from my girl. Of I swear to the gods-" _

_Annabeth closed her eyes, trying not to cry out as the rusty nail dug into her palm. She had tears in her eyes as she watched the monster attack Percy, who had managed to get out of the chair he was in. He somersaulted over the Empousa's head and landed on her back, swinging the bronze chains around her neck and yanking backwards, bringing them both to the ground. He tucked into a back-roll and came up standing. The monster went towards Percy, brandishing a golden sword. Despite being exhausted and half-dead, Percy was still a formidable fighter. He slashed and parried at the monster, easily slashing and making it explode into dust. _

_But another monster came and Percy misjudged his footing from being exhausted and a sword stabbed straight through the back of his knee. He let out a pained scream and was shoved into the ground._

_"You cannot save them all Perseus Jackson." A voice echoed across the chamber. _

_Annabeth let out silent cry, unable to find her voice because the stench of blood was choking her. _

_Only one word came from her lips._

_One word._

_Over and over again. _

_Percy._

Percy gazed down, looking at the new scar on his forearm.

It was in written with a bronze dagger, _**Annabeth's dagger**_, and Percy kept quiet the whole time. Knowing there was nothing he could do.

Scrawling into his arm, it wrote _I Vow,_ _Loyal Till Death. _And at the end was a signature carved into his arm with Pit Scorpion venom, making it permanent, like the tattoo on his other forearm.

It hurt so bad. He wanted to make the pain stop but he felt paralyzed, like he couldn't move.

_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

_So shake him off, oh woah_

He remember fighting through monster after monster. No how many seemed to exploded into dust, even more took its place. Their bladed never ceased moving, parrying and slashing. In sync with each other, that they seemed to morph into one person. As Percy would duck to get a monster's legs, Annabeth slashed with an overhead cut a few inches from his back at another monster. They twirled around each other, stabbing through each other's arms and each step was like a dance.

It _never_ seemed to stop.

_And I am done with my graceless heart_

_So tonight I'm going to cut it out and then restart _

_Cause I like to keep my issues drawn_

_It's always darkest before the dawn_

Annabeth appeared in his mind, scared and shaken up. Her curly blonde hair was messy and dirt, her face covered in grim and monster dust. That was when he realized something important.

_"Annabeth-" He began but she quickly cut him off. Her words were to surprising to him, he almost dropped Riptide into a crevice gapping at his feet. _

_"I love you." Her words were hesitant and she averted her eyes to the ground, like she was afraid of his answer. _

_Percy just stared at her and said, quietly, "I know. I love you, Wise Girl." _

_A smile flickered across her face, hearing her old nickname and she whispered, "You love me?" _

_Percy raised her chin and grinned, "I think I have for awhile now. Like a few years." _

_Even though, they were both exhausted and ready to drop-dead, Annabeth began giggling and they both broke into fits of laughter. _

_It echoed across the dark blood covered floor and they laughed as they cried. _

_After a few minutes, Percy leaned towards her and kissed her forehead softly and said softly, "We'll get out of here. I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you."_

_Annabeth rested her forehead against his and whispered, "I know." Percy whipped her tears from her cheeks as she did the same for him and they both stood up, fingers entwined tightly and Percy smiled, "Hey Annabeth? Did I ever tell you, you're a genius?" _

_She smiled at him and said, "You could stand to mention it more often."_

_With a laugh, Percy capped his sword and together they raced through the darkness, still holding hands. _

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah  
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah_  
_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

The son of Poseidon smiled slightly, remembering that night...or day. It was hard to tell when everything around you is dark.

He felt like it was the first time he smiled since his journey through Tartarus.

Even though it wasn't a real smile, it was a start.

That was when his cabin door opened and he leaped to his feet, uncapping Riptide, his heart hammering against his chest.

"Who's there?" He growled, his bronze sword glowing dangerously in the faint moonlight.

"Percy? Are you okay?" A girl's voice said quietly through the darkness and Percy felt a hand rest on his own.

But he didn't pull away. It wasn't like the cold he was feeling a few moments ago.

It wasn't that steady careful hand, only wanting to cause absolute pain.

It was warm and small, and as it trailed up his bare arm, he shivered at the warmth, making goose bumps appear under where she had touch.

Fingers brushed against his neck softly and Percy looked down, feeling warm breath on the side of his jaw.

"Annabeth?" He whispered, keeping one hand on his sword warily.

_So shake him off, ooh woah! _

_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

_So shake him off_

"Of course it's me." A voice answered and Percy dropped his sword, making a _clattering _sound against the ground.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, hugging her tightly.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and listened to his heart beating like a drum inside his chest.

It felt like it was going to burst any second.

"Percy." She whispered and asked quietly, "What happened?"

"I remembered." Was his only answer, his voice hoarse as if he were far away.

She tightened her grip on him when she could feel him trembling slightly.

He said nothing. _Of course, _he said _nothing._

Percy was a lot like most guys in a lot of ways. When he as in pain or hurting, emotionally or physically, he sucked it up and put on a brave face for everyone who depended on him as a leader.

But because of Percy's fatal flaw, it was even worse. He would do _anything _for someone he loved or even a stranger, risking his life in a heartbeat.

_And given half the chance would I take any of it back_

_It's a fine romance but its left me so undone_

_It's always darkest before the dawn_

She _**hated**_ seeing him like this. Seeing him so...undone.

Annabeth knew that he would _never _be like this in front of anyone else.

But since she was with him every single step of the way, he felt like he could.

Anger welled up inside of her, making her feel like she wanted to scream at the gods once she walked in the door for the reading tomorrow.

_Oh woah, Oh woah_

_And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't_

_So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road_

_And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope_

She felt pain flare up in her chest at what she remembered from Tartarus.

Having to watch Percy being tortured was one of the hardest and most painful things she's ever had to do. And how he was quiet almost the whole time, his eyes closed and his lips moving in a silent pray to the gods. She had to bit her lip to not cry when she recognized her name being whispered by Percy.

Praying to the gods, _all the gods_, Roman and Greek, to save her. He prayed to her mother and his father, he prayed to Hades, Hermes and to Artemis.

She turned her head away when he let out a scream, withering and trying to get out of her bonds to make them stop.

She pleaded to be tortured instead of him.

But he turned his head and gave her a hard glare, his sea-green eyes filled with pain and anger. His look was easy to translate.

_Just shut up. If one of us goes down, it's going to be me._

_Annabeth gazed at the dark red blood dripping on to the floor and the puddle of water, so clear it was like a mirror. _

_She gazed into it, watching and crying out as the image of his arm was slammed into the ground and Annabeth's own dagger being brought onto the tan and already bruised flesh. _

_Once they managed to escape the monster's grasp, she tried to apologize but Percy just looked at her and rolled his eyes, putting his arm around her and steadying her as they walked carefully through the dark. _

_She remembered feeling the wet blood through her shirt as he wrapped his arm around her waist, feeling his muscles tensing now and then and she watched him flex his wrist a few times, as if it was killing him._

_Which, it probably was. _

_It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat_

Percy pulled away from Annabeth and sat on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through his hair to "tame" the wild raven black hair.

Annabeth sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder and after a few moments, she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Percy shook his head and looked at her through the corner of his eye, "No. Not right now. Not in the dark."

She nodded and Percy wrapped his arm around her, the same way he had done down in the _hellhole. _

She could feel the very slight outline of his scar, through the thin material of her dark grey undershirt. She gazed at him as he moved his pale green T-Shirt, covering the wound on the base collarbone, that traced up a few inches to the side of his neck, in a wave pattern, though it was unnoticeable unless you have the right lighting to see it against his tanned skin.

_"Let's give you a tattoo. In a wave pattern, so everyone knows you're a son of Neptune. It'll always be there, it'll just look different." _

Annabeth gritted her teeth and clenched her hand into a tight fist.

_Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me_

_Looking for heaven, found the devil in me_

_Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me_

A calloused hand covered her own and she turned and looked at Percy, whose face was emotionless but his eyes were edged with worry and exhaustion.

Annabeth caressed his cheek softly and whispered, "It won't ever be the same. Will it?"

He gripped her hand and replied, "I don't think it will. But at least your alive, and that's all I care about."

Annabeth gently kissed him once and smiled slightly, "You are overprotective."

Percy rolled his eyes and let out a light laugh, that warmed Annabeth down to her toes, "Yeah. I guess I am."

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah!_

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah!_

_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

_So shake him off, oh woah!_

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah!

_Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah!_

_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back_

_So shake him off, oh woah!_

Annabeth smiled, happy to see a smile flicker in his sea-green eyes.

A knock sounded at the door and Jason, Leo and Frank walked in, flickering on the light.

Leo immediately covered his eyes and said, "Gods, you two. Next time, lock the door."

Annabeth and Percy both grew red and Percy argued, "We weren't doing _anything _Leo!"

The son of Jupiter chuckled and said, "I'm am _so_ telling Piper and Hazel about this."

Annabeth glared at him and Percy just rolled his eyes and fell back onto his bed.

"Whatever. Go ahead."

Annabeth smacked his face with a pillow and turned and glared at the three boys, "I was just leave." She stood up but Percy seized her wrist and muttered, "I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone right now."

The other three boys heard Percy and sent each other guilty looks. They guessed the reason Annabeth had come into Percy's cabin at 3 in the morning, why both of them looked distressed. They had probably remembered...

Jason couldn't even say the _name _of the place without feeling guilty.

But when all three of them had tried to apologize, Percy threatened to drown them in the lake if they didn't stop feeling sorry about it.

"It was _my choice_. There was _no way_ I would _ever _l be separated from Annabeth again. So stop apologizing and stop saying you could've done something. I swear to the gods, the next demigod who apologizes for what happened, I'll-" He stopped talking when Annabeth back up behind him and gave all of the remaining Seven, a warning glare that said it all.

_Bring it up, and I'll kill you, bring you back so the prophecy can be completed and then I'll kill you again._

Frank nudged Leo and said, "Oh, we just forgot to give you this Percy. You forgot it in the Big House." he handed Percy a cheap ballpoint pen and Percy raised his eyebrow.

"Okay, now your being ridiculous. Not _every stupid_ ballpoint pen is my swor-"

"Bye, sleep well you two." Leo interrupted Percy and Jason shoved the boy out of the door.

Jason stopped at the open door and looked back.

Annabeth had her elbows resting on Percy's stomach, her feet up in the air and they were laughing quietly, Annabeth brushing his messy hair off of his forehead and Percy smiling up at her.

Jason smiled before stepping out and closing the door behind him.


End file.
